Poppyseed Egg Salad

A few weeks ago, with my nieces in town to hang out with my girls for what is known as Cousin Camp, we had a tea party with some other friends. I made PB&J and cream cheese and jam sandwiches in the shapes of hearts and flowers. But what about for the adults? I hadn't thought that far ahead. Fortunately, egg salad popped to mind, because all of the ingredients — including poppyseeds, which give this version a subtle nutty flavor and crunch — are always on hand.

My friend Ashley, who brought her girls to the tea party, and I were like "Omigosh, egg salad is sooooo good." There wasn't a whole lot of talking during the eating, actually.

Why don't I make egg salad more often? Well, the hubby is watching his cholesterol, and the kids won't eat it. But I'm here to tell you, my friends, that it's good to make dishes for just yourself (and a like-minded friend) sometimes. Besides, taste buds change, too. I now have one kid, Lucy, who absolutely loves this egg salad. I found out about Lucy's new love of egg salad when the leftovers that had my name (figuratively) all over them for a late post-cycle class lunch were half eaten when I got to them.

I hope you enjoy this simple, classic dish with a twist. I hope that sometimes you make something that only you like ... for now.

XOXO,
Amy



Poppyseed Egg Salad
12 hardboiled eggs
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
Salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and cut up eggs; transfer to bowl. Add rest of ingredients and stir gently (so as not to make the eggs a mushy mess) until combined.

Question: Do you know how to boil eggs? That is, do you know how to boil eggs so that the yolks are perfectly cooked without any greenish hint of being overdone? And do you know how to boil eggs so that the shells come off easily, without taking out hunks of egg white?

No? Well, here is what to do. Place eggs in a pot and add water so that it there's at least an inch of water over the tops of the eggs. Add some salt to the water and set pot over high heat. Once the water comes to a rapid boil, allow water to continue its full-paced boil and the eggs to cook for another two minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs and transfer to a bowl of ice cubes and cold water. Peel eggs immediately after they are cooled, within about 10-15 minutes.

Oh, and here's Lucy enjoying an open-faced egg salad sandwich.

Savory Spring Egg Cups

These breakfast treats remind me of the Italian Easter meat pie (pizza rustica) that my family would devour every spring. That hearty dish (best consumed cold) combines hard boiled eggs, mozzarella, prosciutto and ricotta cheese in a flaky double pie crust.

I still hope to make one of those savory pies before summer hits, but today's sweet little recipe satisfied my craving.  Better yet – my boys liked it. I served these egg cups for dinner and the leftovers held up great the next day. Lunch for me; hearty after-school snack for them.

You can use your favorite breakfast meat, like sausage or ham. I used bacon because it imparts a taste similar to the prosciutto used in my family's traditional Easter morning meal.

These would make a great addition to an Easter brunch menu, especially if you have extra eggs in the fridge. Or they might be a good way to use that leftover holiday ham.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Savory Spring Egg Cups
Inspired by a video from HomemadeHooplah.com

2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed
Small container ricotta cheese
6 slices precooked bacon, chopped
1 dozen eggs
Garlic salt
Fresh ground pepper

**Cut recipe in half if you don't need 12 egg cups.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large 12-tin muffin pan with cooking spray. If you like, line each tin with paper or parchment muffin liners.

Place 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten into a square shape. Repeat with second pastry sheet.

Cut each pastry sheet into 6 squarish rectangles. Push 1 square of pastry into each prepared muffin tin. Flute edges of pastry so they stand up slightly. Spray pastry with cooking spray.

Fill each muffin cup with 1 or 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Push down gently with back of a spoon.

Crack one egg into each muffin cup. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.

Place in preheated oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cook a few minutes less if you prefer a less solid yolk. (You can test the yolk with a toothpick.)

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Tastes great served warm or cold. Fresh berries make a nice side dish. Perfect for any meal!

Eggs in a Nest

Do any of you dear readers have children whose dietary preferences change from week to week? My youngest used to want eggs every day. Then he swore them off completely.

Now, he's eating them again.

To embrace the egg love while I can, I baked this hearty skillet. It combines many of the breakfast foods my youngest currently enjoys: hash browns, eggs, ham and cheese.

Plus, it's a one-pot meal, and I'm all over the easier clean up that follows that!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Eggs in a Nest
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1/3 package shredded hash browns (I like Alexia hash browns with onion, garlic and white pepper)
1 heaping cup diced cooked ham (or use crumbled sausage)
1 cup shredded cheese (use your favorite, such as cheddar or pepper jack)
6 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Diced green onions for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large (10-inch or 12-inch) oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat.

Pour in hash browns. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until hash browns start to brown. Flip over in sections and cook for another 2-3 minutes until desired crispiness.

Add ham to skillet, stirring gently. Cook another 5 minutes or until ham starts to brown lightly. Spread out ham and hash brown mixture evenly across entire pan.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese, let melt.

Remove pan from heat. Form six wells in the hash brown mixture. Crack an egg into each well.

Place skillet in oven and bake about 7 minutes or until egg whites are cooked and yolks are set. (Cook a little less time if you prefer your yolks more on the sunny side.)

Remove from oven.

Top with salt, pepper and green onions. Slice into wedges and serve with hot sauce on hand for those who like it.

Tasty Thai Noodles

My little lady is 14 months old. She's adorable, hilarious, strong, and full of joie de vivre. Also, she likes to be held. Especially while I'm trying to make dinner.

I've been doing my best to get ready before the dinner time drama begins, and this recipe is a prime candidate for nap-time preparation. You can make the sauce, cook the noodles, prep the chicken, and chop the broccoli earlier in the day or the night before. Then you can stir fry these Tasty Thai Noodles at the last minute while your clingy toddler is distracted by Caillou and the Tupperware drawer.

When it comes to getting hot dinner on the table, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Tasty Thai Noodles
Gently adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Serves: 4

12 ounces chicken breast, sliced crosswise 1/4"
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces rice noodles (I used pad Thai noodles like this.)
About 12 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used red wine vinegar because I was out of rice wine vinegar.)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 large head broccoli, cut into 1" pieces
Lime wedges for serving

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, water, and baking soda. Set aside on the counter for about 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain, and pat dry.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drizzle with a couple teaspoons oil and toss until noodles are evenly coated so they don't sit together. Set aside.

Next make the sauce. Whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.

Place your biggest non-stick skillet over high heat and add a couple teaspoons vegetable oil. Add the chicken in a single layer. Allow to cook 2 minutes, until the first side is browned. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in a couple tablespoons of sauce and push the chicken to one side of the skillet.

Add another couple teaspoons of oil to the empty side of the skillet, then add eggs. Use a spatula to gently stir the eggs until they're barely set. Then stir the eggs into the chicken for another minute. Transfer to a bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add another couple teaspoons oil to the now empty skillet. Stir in broccoli and 3 tablespoons sauce. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until sauce is thickened and broccoli is crisp-tender. Add broccoli to the bowl with the chicken.

Yet again, add another couple teaspoons oil to the now empty skillet. Add half of the cooked noodles and 2 tablespoons sauce. Cook for 2 minutes until the noodles start to brown, then stir and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove the noodles to the bowl with the chicken. Repeat with another few teaspoons oil, 2 more tablespoons sauce, and remaining noodles.

Once the final batch of noodles is stir fried, stir in chicken, eggs, broccoli, and remaining noodles. Cook for a couple minutes, until everything is heated through. If desired, stir in extra sauce until the noodles are as "saucy" as you'd like. Serve with lime wedges.

Simple Spoonbread

I was really pleased with myself because I had made a plan for dinner. The husband was going to grill pork chops, so I prepped them with a spice rub during the kids' nap time. I'd even sliced zucchini spears to throw on the grill with the meat. I just had to chop the potatoes to pop in the oven at the last minute.

Well, pride cometh before the fall, my friends.

I opened the bag of spuds and...Ewww. My potatoes had eyes on them. And not just one or two that I could dig out with my pairing knife. Lots and lots and lots of eyes. Shudder. Back to the drawing board.

Earlier in the day, I was perusing an edition of Eating Well magazine and stumbled across a recipe for spoonbread. Since I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Man, you guys. This stuff was awesome. Simple Spoonbread reminds me of light, airy cornbread. It has a lovely corn flavor with just a hint of sweetness. The cheese brings richness and ground chipotle adds just a hint of smokey heat. And it's super kid-friendly. Our daughter devoured it.

Now read the recipe and check your pantry for the ingredients. Have them all? Good. Now you know what you're making for dinner tonight.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Simple Spoonbread
Adapted from Eating Well

2 1/2 cups milk (I used 1%), divided
1 teaspoon agave
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon (or more!) ground chipotle powder, depending on your spice tolerance
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded cheese (I used colby jack. Cheddar would also be lovely.)
3 eggs, preferably at room temperature, separated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside. (An 8" or 9" square dish works well.)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 2 cups milk, agave, salt and chipotle powder. Heat until the milk starts to bubble around the edges, then whisk in cornmeal. Cook, stirring, until the cornmeal thickens and starts to pull away from the pan, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Meanwhile beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until they are white and form soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup milk. Stir a third of the cornmeal mixture into the egg yolks to temper them. Then stir in the remaining cornmeal mixture.

Using a spatula, gently fold a third of the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until spoonbread is puffed and golden brown in spots, about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

P.S. Want more spoonbread in your life? Check out Andrea's Buttermilk Spoonbread, too! 

Easter Round-Up

Happy Easter, dear readers! Today I'm sharing a round-up of recipes that would be perfect for your holiday table. Whether you're celebrating with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we've got you covered.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Let's get our day started with Herbed Egg Bake. The fresh herbs hint at the Spring garden goodness that's heading our way.

Make these Carrot Coconut Muffins the night before and serve them with a schmear of butter. The Easter bunny will appreciate a few carrots, don't you think?

Use up any leftovers from your Easter egg hunt to make this Deviled Egg Sampler. Are you a traditionalist or will you add a pinch of curry to your deviled eggs?

Easter begs for ham, and this Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham is my very favorite. Bonus: It's as simple to prepare as it is delicious to eat.

Asparagus is so fresh and tender this time of year. And since it's seasonal, it'll probably be on sale this weekend. Roasted Asparagus with Lemon is my favorite way to serve this springtime veggie.

Lemon Buttermilk Cake is a refreshing and delicious dessert. I recommend piling it high with berries and freshly whipped cream.

Amy's Yummy Year

This time last year, my friend Erin invited my friend Andrea and I join her on this delicious blog she created. Andrea and I bellied right up. Thank you, Erin for the creative culinary outlet. It's been a sweet year blogging with two awesome foodie friends who share the goal of putting food on the table and keeping the tradition of family dinner alive.

Here are some of my happiest Hot Dinner Happy Home moments from the past year as well as some of my favorite dishes by Andrea and Erin.

Enjoy!

XOXO,
Amy

Happiest Moments

• Cooking with my kids, including "baking"  sugar cookies with them on live TV. Check out these posts:
• Good Day Charlotte Features George Girls and Sugar Cookies
• Chocolate Madeleines
• Ginger Cookies
• Smokehouse Spaghetti

• Creating Spring on Toast with Erin while my Lucy and Penny "babysat" her Danny-boy. (Love that Erin shared this memory in her Friday post.)

• Conquering the pressure cooker. See these posts:
• Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
• Pressure Cooker Potato Soup
• Shrimp Curry Under Pressure

Favorite dishes by Andrea

• Having an Italian BFF means access to recipes for classic, authentic dishes. It also means I get to know how each member of her family tweaks their own interpretations of the classics. Check  out:
• Traditional Italian Meatballs
• Sunday Gravy (Tortora family tomato sauce)
• Family Lasagna
• My favorite of Andrea's non-Italian dishes and a fantastic lighter dinner paired with a green salad: Buttermilk Spoonbread.

Favorite dishes by Erin

• Erin's Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Pork is the first HDHH dish I ever made and I chatted it up A LOT on my Facebook page. I couldn't even tell you how many friends have made that dish. Suffice to say it's a hit from coast to coast and all points in between.
• Parmesan and Yogurt Crusted Chicken is a George family go-to dinner. My younger daughter Penny requested it for her birthday dinner last month.
• I see Spiced Pecans becoming my go-to holiday party nosh. I didn't make them last year like I intended. But in 2014 my friends walked off with the few remaining nuts after the Thanksgiving feast Chez George. I don't blame them, because, after all, we call these crack nuts.

Happy Hot Dinner Anniversary, Amy and Andrea!

It has been one year since Amy and Andrea joined our virtual dinner party here at Hot Dinner Happy Home. I know I speak on behalf of all the HDHH readers when I say we've been thrilled to have these ladies at the table!

In celebration of their blog-iversary, I'm sharing my favorite recipes from both of these gals. Without further ado...

My favorite recipe from Amy has to be Spring on Toast. Crisp bread topped with tender asparagus, runny eggs, and creamy, tangy goat cheese. I might be a bit biased about this dish because I was lucky enough to share it with Amy when I lived in Charlotte last year. Spring in Charlotte is lovely, and I'm missing the southern sunshine as I sit here in the Seattle drizzle. I think it's time to add Spring on Toast to my menu!

My favorite recipe from Andrea is Homemade Tomato Sauce, a.k.a. Sunday Gravy. Here's a true confession: I'm a little bit jealous of Andrea's Italian heritage. Most of my ancestors hail from Sweden and Ireland. You don't often hear people hankering after lutefisk or boiled potatoes. I love that Andrea's grandmother made Sunday Gravy every week for family dinner and that her various family members each add a twist to the traditional recipe. It makes me want to create food memories with my kids. And this rich, hearty Sunday Gravy is the perfect place to start.

Thanks for cooking with me, ladies!
Erin

Gluten-Free, Low FODMAP Southwest Breakfast Bake

I feel like a lucky duck because I don't have any food allergies. Many of my friends and family have food allergies and sensitivities and need to follow special diets so they feel their best. And here I am taking it for granted that I can scarf down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with impunity.

Several folks in my life follow a low FODMAP diet to help maintain good gut health. A low FODMAP diet avoids gluten, dairy, certain sweeteners, and a pretty long (and seemingly random to those of us uneducated about Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols) list of foods like onions, garlic, legumes, avocado, apples, and artichokes.

Since I'm an admitted food nerd, I get pretty psyched about a dietary challenge. It's fun to come up with a delicious recipe that all of my loved ones can enjoy! When we had a gang over for brunch recently, I served this Southwest Breakfast Bake that was flavorful and friendly for a low FODMAP diet. Chipotle chili powder gives smokey depth to the dish and green chiles add just the right amount of heat. I think you'll enjoy it...low FODMAP diet or not.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Gluten-Free, Low FODMAP Southwest Breakfast Bake
Adapted from all over the internet (Sorry I can't remember specifics!)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder*
1 medium white sweet potato**, peeled and grated
Salt
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles
12 eggs, whisked
Salsa, hot sauce, and extra chopped cilantro for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in cumin and chipotle chili powder and cook for an additional minute, until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in sweet potato and salt to taste. (I used about a teaspoon of salt.) Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and cook until it's wilted, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in cilantro and green chiles. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt or spice if necessary.

Spread beef mixture into prepared pan. Pour eggs over top and shake the pan a little so the eggs settle and mix in with the beef. Bake 25-30 minutes, until eggs are set in the middle. Serve warm with salsa, hot sauce, and extra cilantro.  

* If you're following a low FODMAP diet, make sure you're using chipotle chili powder and not regular chili powder. Regular chili powder is a blend that typically includes onion and garlic powder, which are not FODMAP friendly.

**White sweet potatoes are a little bit less sweet than typical orange sweet potatoes. If you can't find a white sweet potato, feel free to substitute a regular orange sweet potato.

Crustless Quiche with Ham and Smokey Cheddar

Lately I've been trying to limit my trips to the grocery store to once a week. While I love my precious angels, I don't love schlepping them both to the store. So I shop when the husband can watch the kids on Sunday afternoon. I try to use fresh meat and produce at the beginning of the week, and by Friday I'm looking to clean out the fridge, freezer and pantry.

I always have eggs on hand and I had popped some leftover ham in the freezer a few weeks back. Crustless quiche seemed like the perfect end-of-the-week plan. I whisked everything together and popped it into the oven to bake. It was ridiculously easy, so I was dubious that it would be good. But it was. Tasty + easy? You guys know that's how I roll.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Crustless Quiche with Ham and Smokey Cheddar
Serves: 4-6

8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper
1 cup diced ham
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" pie plate and set aside.

Whisk together eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ham and cheese. Pour mixture into prepared pie plate, making sure ham and cheese are evenly distributed. Bake for about 30 minutes, until filling is set and doesn't jiggle. Rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Amy's Mom's Egg Strata

Growing up, instead of a traditional Christmas dinner we had a standard breakfast -- my mom's egg strata, which she assembled overnight and put in the oven while we unwrapped our gifts. Now I make strata for my family on Christmas and on other special occasions when we have company.

I tweak my mom's version ever so slightly by cooking the onions with the sausage, because my family doesn't like raw onion and Mom layers uncooked onion into her strata. Also, I think Mom uses butter spread, whereas I use softened butter.

Whether the strata is made by Mom or me, it's a crowd pleaser.

XOXO,
Amy

Amy's  Mom's Egg Strata

1 (16 ounce) tube of breakfast sausage
1 medium onion, diced finely
10-12 slices white bread, lightly buttered on each side
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (or Colby Jack or Mexican blend)
5 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cups milk

Fry sausage -- with diced onion if you don't want to add in raw onion. Cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain sausage and set aside.

Mix together milk and beaten eggs and set aside.

Make a layer of bread in the bottom of a 9"x 13" baking pan. If your pan is curved, you will likely have to cut the last two slices a bit so they fit in the pan.

Sprinkle sausage, onions and cheese over the bread slices. Top with another layer of bread slices. Pour egg and milk mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, bake the strata uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Place foil on top when the bread starts to get brown.

Serve immediately. Leftovers, should you have any, are tasty, too.

Fried Matzah

My husband spent many years working in restaurants, but he rarely cooks. When he does, he makes Fried Matzah.

This Thanksgiving weekend, as I'm prepping the turkey and sides, he'll whip up this tasty breakfast for our house full of guests.

It's a meal he learned from his father. Also called Matzah (or Matzo) Brei, this is a traditional Passover dish, but we eat it whenever the husband feels like making it.

When I shared the news of the husband's meal-making with my mom, she reminded me that my Uncle Rick used to make us Matzo Brei, too. It's a comforting, homey, simple meal that satisfies and fills you up. And it's easy to vary the recipe to suit your particular tastes, like adding fresh herbs or topping the finished fried matzah with shredded cheese or apple sauce.

So, as you prepare for your Turkey Day feast, invite someone else into the kitchen to do the breakfast honors so that you can enjoy a little down time.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Fried Matzah
This recipe serves 4-5 people.

10 full matzo crackers (the husband prefers Manischewitz)
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, divided
5 green onions or 1 red onion, finely diced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, optional

Break up the matzo into smaller pieces and put them into a strainer. Run the strainer and crackers under hot water, tossing the crackers a few times until they are dampened but not softened. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook until fragrant and onions starts to soften. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Crack eggs into large bowl and whisk to combine. Place pieces of matzo into eggs, ensuring pieces do not stick together.

Let the matzo soak in the eggs for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add butter and let it melt. Then pour matzo and egg mixture into pan. Add salt and pepper.

Using a large spatula, flip pieces of the matzo so that it cooks evenly. After eggs begin to firm up, add the cooked onions and garlic and any herbs. Continue to turn sections of the matzo-egg mixture, breaking up large pieces.

Cook until the eggs are no longer runny and the matzo is lightly browned. Divide among 4 or 5 plates and serve. If you like, top with some shredded cheese, apple sauce or sour cream.

Hearty Egg Casserole

If you've never tasted a farm fresh egg, you haven't lived.

I didn't know this until my former co-worker Kevin started raising chickens. He often shared extra eggs with those of us on staff who wanted them. The flavor is so good that there is no need to add  anything — the eggs can easily stand on their own.

It's like the difference between a tomato from the garden and one you buy in the grocery store. No comparison. Fresh eggs from chickens that eat a varied diet and roam free pack a richer punch to the palette.

So I didn't think it was possible to get farm-fresh taste from grocery store eggs. Not so! The folks at Blue Sky Family Farms asked us to give their free range, organic, humanely raised eggs a try.

These beauties are the real thing. The shells are harder, the yolks are a deep orange color and the flavor tastes like eggs should.

We tried these brown eggs by themselves in scrambled and fried versions. The eggs are light and fluffy and simply delicious. They'd also be perfect for Soft Boiled Eggs or Spring on Toast.

My brother Greg happened to be visiting when the Blue Sky Family Farms eggs arrived, so we decided to use a dozen in a casserole, We wanted to see how the eggs hold up when baked with cheese, potatoes, sausage and tomatoes. Greg is always experimenting in the kitchen and gets the credit for this recipe. You can serve this egg bake at breakfast, lunch or dinner, with toast, fruit or even a green salad.

Finally, if you're not raising your own chickens or don't have access to farm fresh eggs, you can find Blue Sky Family Farms eggs at many grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Hearty Egg Casserole

1 15 ounce can sliced white potatoes
1 dozen eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 to 1 cup cooked sausage crumbles
1 brick of Gruyere cheese, sliced (between 1/2 pound and 1 pound)
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

Place sliced potatoes in a singe layer in bottom of pan. Sprinkle sausage on top of potatoes.

Crack eggs into a medium bowl, add half and half and salt and pepper. Whisk together until yolks are broken and incorporated into mixture. Pour eggs into pan over sausage and potatoes.

Lay slices of Gruyere evenly in pan.

Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place in oven on middle rack and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until casserole is puffed and light browned on top.

Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Blue Sky Family Farms free range eggs are packaged in the pretty carton above.

Herbed Egg Bake

We like to eat breakfast for dinner (brinner!) every now and then and I'm a big fan of egg bakes.

For the past few years I've been on a quest to achieve a quiche-like consistency without using heavy cream and a crust. After a recent visit from my parents — during which we ate many bagels topped with cream cheese and the smoked salmon they brought back from their Alaska excursion — my fridge was overflowing with tubs of cream cheese in several flavors (garden, onion and chive, etc.)

So I began experimenting with baked eggs again. I've tried whisking cream cheese into eggs before scrambling them or baking them, but could never quite get that fluffy custardy texture.

Until now. Thanks to Epicurious.com I know the trick: Mix the eggs and cream cheese together with milk in a blender.

This egg casserole is simple to prepare and also makes for a great brunch dish. The leftovers taste delicious cold or warmed in the microwave.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Herbed Egg Bake

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss work well)
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, basil, parsley, oregano (Use one kind or a mixture)
10 large eggs
6 to 8 ounces cream cheese, plain or the flavor of your choice
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or use cooking spray to coat a 13x9x2 inch pan or a 2 quart baking dish.

Spread cheese and herbs evenly over bottom of baking dish.

Crack eggs into blender. Add milk, cream cheese, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Pulse or blend until smooth.

Pour egg mixture over cheese and herbs in baking dish. Place in middle rack of oven.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until egg bake is lightly browned, puffed and set in the middle. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Deviled Egg Sampler

I recently overbought on the egg front. What to do? Make deviled eggs, of course. Plenty of other good reasons to whip up deviled eggs, too. I love using my pretty deviled egg plate. Plus, my older daughter Lucy recently discovered a love of deviled eggs; she ate like six at a wedding reception.

What's better than deviled eggs? A deviled egg sampler, of course. In mine: traditional, poppy seed and curried.

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

At top: curried. On right: traditional. On left: poppy seed.

My favorite in this sampler: the curried. Anyone who knows me and my love of Indian food would  not be shocked. Lucy plopped two of the traditional style in her mouth in about five seconds. Penny went for poppy seed. The hubby tried them all and remains a traditionalist at heart.

I bet you will come up with varieties we haven't even thought of.

XOXO,
Amy

Deviled Egg Sampler
8 eggs, hard boiled (See directions below)
Salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard, divided in half
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided in thirds

First, prepare the hard boiled eggs with this fool-proof method.

Take eggs out of fridge, so they start to come closer to room temperature. Add salt to a pot of water and boil. When water is boiling rapidly, use a slotted spoon to place each egg in the pot. Reduce to a moderate boil and cook eggs for 10 minutes. This timing is what ensures that the eggs are not overcooked; the yellow part of the eggs stays yellow and doesn't turn that gross green color around the edges.

Just before the egg time is up, fill a bowl with ice and cold water. When time is up, use a slotted spoon to gently remove each egg from the hot water and place in the bowl of ice and cold water. This last step ensures that  the eggs will stay nicely intact when you peel them.

Peel eggs immediately or drain water and place in fridge until you are ready to make your deviled eggs. I get better results if I peel immediately. I always make eight eggs to yield 12 deviled egg halves. By making eight eggs, I have enough eggs yolks to fill 12 halves and if I wreck two of the egg whites it's no big deal.

After you peel the eggs, slice in half and scoop out the insides. Divide the yolks evenly into three bowls. Add a bit of salt (to taste) to each bowl.

For traditional deviled eggs, add half a teaspoon of ground mustard and one tablespoon of mayonnaise to one bowl with egg yolk and salt. Combine/mash with a fork. Fill four eggs and top with paprika.

For poppy seed deviled eggs, prepare the a bowl as you did for traditional eggs and add half a teaspoon of poppy seeds. Combine ingredients. Fill four eggs.

For curried deviled eggs, add half a teaspoon of curry powder and a tablespoon of mayonnaise to  the third bowl with egg yolks and salt. Combine ingredients. Fill  four eggs and top with garam masala.

Eat immediately.

PS: A word on the mayonnaise. If you are using store-bought and you live in the South, you use Duke's. All other brands are lame.

Almond Granola Bars

These granola bars are a spin-off of a recipe that's been circulating among the moms in my Peoria neighborhood for years.  I was recently gifted the ingredient list — and of course started making my own variations.

We're lucky to have lots of kids in our 'hood, and one mom and I often trade baked goods (and favorite cook books) when our kindergarten boys get together. Julie B. introduced me to these light and crisp bars.

By way of pure coincidence, these granola snacks originated with Charity J., a mom in an adjacent subdivision — who was my neighbor when we first moved to town.

In my never-ending quest to provide filling nibbles to my boys, I decided to try making these snacks with almond flour. As I'm learning, almond flour is a gluten-free alternative with more flavor, protein and healthy fats compared to regular flour. I even used it to make triple almond chocolate pudding.

With Max and Sam in the house, a tray of these sweet and chewy morsels disappears pretty fast.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Almond Granola Bars
Inspired by the moms of Hawley Hills

2 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil (coconut oil would be delicious)
2/3 cups honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup almond flour
4 cups rice krispie cereal
4 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and honey. Add brown sugar and mix until smooth. Add baking powder, almond flour, rice cereal and oats. Stir until everything is coated in the honey mixture.

Mix in chocolate chips and cherries.

Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with enough parchment paper so that some hangs over the edges. Pour mixture into pan. Using a spatula, firmly press granola into pan. Don't be gentle. You want to really press hard.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how hot your oven is. (Mine runs a little on the cool side, so these took almost 25 minutes.) When the top is golden brown, remove pan from oven.

Let cool completely. Holding the ends of the parchment paper, lift granola from pan and set on cutting board. Slice into bars. Good luck trying to eat just one!

Family Lasagna

If you've made our Sunday gravy and traditional Italian meatballs, then roll up your sleeves, because you are ready to tackle old-fashioned, Old World lasagna.

Fear not — if you mastered the tomato sauce and meatballs, you're practically Italian already!

I call this "family lasagna" for two reasons: It's more than enough to feed a crowd of relatives (or friends) and you can put everyone to work helping you make it. The process might seem a bit much, but I remember having lots of fun as a kid, sitting around the kitchen table with my parents, my siblings and sometimes my grandparents, chopping meatballs and sausage and mixing up the ricotta cheese filling before building the lasagna.

Yes, there are many short cuts, like using no-boil lasagna noodles or cooking ground beef with some Italian seasonings instead of making meatballs. But trust me. I've made lasagna the quick way numerous times. The final result just can't compare to the real thing.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Family Meat Lasagna

20 wavy lasagna noodles (usually 1 and 1/2 boxes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (15 ounce) containers of ricotta cheese
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups or more of homemade tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked meatballs, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked Italian sausage links, chopped (mild, sweet or hot)

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, adding 1 tablespoon olive oil to water to prevent sticking. After draining noodles, place them on parchment paper.

While lasagna noodles are cooking, mix together ricotta, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt and pepper.

Set up a lasagna prep station, with all ingredients in easy reach.

Cover bottom of a deep 13 x 9 inch casserole dish with 1 cup tomato sauce. Layer 5 lasagna noodles on top, slightly overlapping them.

Top noodles with 1 cup ricotta mixture, 1/2 cup chopped meatballs and 1/2 cup chopped sausage. Top with 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 1 scant cup tomato sauce.

Layer another 5 noodles on top of first meat and cheese layer. Repeat the cheese, meat, mozzarella and tomato sauce layering two more times. Top final noodle layer with tomato sauce, ensuring that corners are covered with sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese on top.

Cover lasagna with foil lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 15 minutes more. Lasagna is done when it is bubbly.

Depending on your oven, it can take as long as 90 minutes to cook. You can also bump up the temperature to 400 degrees — just check the lasagna more frequently.

Remove from oven and let lasagna sit for about 15 minutes. Then slice and serve.

**Note on make-ahead preparation: You can prepare the lasagna the night before. Just refrigerate and bake within 24 hours.

**Note on freezing lasagna: If you plan to freeze an entire lasagna, it's best to freeze before cooking. Thaw, then cook as directed above.

Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette

My mom cracks me up. She doesn't mean to, but she does. For example, ham nibbies. What is a ham nibbie, you ask? Well, let me tell you.

My mom found a particularly good price on ham and purchased an extravagant amount. You can't have too much ham, right? Wrong. After eating ham for several days in a row, there was still quite a bit of meat in the pan. So, my clever mom diced up the remaining leftovers and popped it in the freezer.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I ask Mom what's for dinner. "Ham nibbies."

"Uh, mom, what are ham nibbies?"

She pulls the diced leftover ham out of the freezer and holds it aloft. "Ham nibbies!" she exclaims proudly.

While I wouldn't recommend serving your family a plate piled high with plain old ham nibbies for dinner, they are perfect for making a Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette.

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette
Adapted from Williams Sonoma and inspired by leftover Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham
Serves: 6

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups diced (or thinly sliced) ham
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda or cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups French bread or baguette cubes (1/2" cubes)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs until thoroughly blended. Whisk in milk, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in ham and cheese. Pour egg mixture into the prepared baking dish. (If you're preparing the omelette ahead of time, at this point you can cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the oven until you're ready to bake it.)

In a separate bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bread over the egg mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the eggs are set and golden brown around the edges. Serve hot.


P.S. Looking for a side dish? This rich Ham and Cheese Oven Omelette pairs perfectly with a refreshing salad like this one with oranges and fennel.

Spring on Toast (featuring eggs and asparagus)

Last Friday, on the first day of Spring, Erin dropped by Chez George for a little culinary date. Erin brought her son Danny (he's adorbs!) and my daughters Lucy and Penny enjoyed their first "babysitting" stint. She also brought a yummy lemon buttermilk cake.

Erin and I decided to team up today to tell you about our main course, which we shall call Spring on Toast. I'd seen a friend's yummy-looking Facebook photo of toast topped with asparagus, sunnyside up eggs and goat cheese--all finished off under the broiler. (Shout out to you, Kate Y.!)

This dish was the perfect choice for the first day of Spring, a meatless Friday before Lent and for a dinner without the husbands, who are both opposed to "breakfast" for dinner. The hubbies are wrong, just wrong, btw.

Here was our conversation while eating.

Erin (while shoveling yolk-y bites of asparagus into her mouth at warp speed): OMG. Amy. This is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. It's, like, for realz Spring on Toast.

Amy (admiring the crisp-tender spears of asparagus blanketing the toast): It does taste like Spring. This asparagus is absolutely perfect. Seasonal vegetables rock my world.

Erin (now attempting to lick up the puddles of yolk pooling on her plate): I think I'm going to make this for lunch every day now.

Amy (moving her foot just in time to avoid Danny driving over it with a Barbie jeep): So good. So, so good. SO GOOD.

XOXO and let's get cooking!
Amy & Erin

Spring on Toast (featuring eggs and asparagus)
Asparagus
Olive oil
Salt
Cracked pepper
Multigrain bread, sliced
Butter
Eggs
Goat cheese

Trim asparagus and place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 for 5 minutes or until slightly tender, but not overdone.

Butter each side of bread and "toast" each side in a skillet. Place toasted bread on a cookie sheet. Top with asparagus.

Cook eggs sunnyside up until the whites are set, just a couple minutes on medium or medium high. Slide eggs on top of the asparagus. Two per piece of toast. Note: This is a two person job and it helps if you and your culinary partner utter things like "careful, careful, careful" and "eek, eek, eek," as you try to coax the eggs on top of the toast, keeping them intact. Top eggs with goat cheese.

Broil on high until the goat cheese is softened and warmed through, about 5 minutes. (Watch carefully when you are broiling! Some broilers are hotter than the surface of the sun and will set your toast on fire in less than a minute. Erin may or may not know this from experience.) Remove and top with cracked pepper. Eat immediately.

P.S. Amy was kind enough to send the leftover Spring on Toast home with Erin, and it reheated beautifully. 425 degrees for 10 minutes and the egg was still runny and perfect.

Coffee Cup Chilaquiles

My mom is a thoughtful gal. She knows I'm always trying new recipes, so when she read an article in her local newspaper (The Buffalo News...three cheers for western New York!) about cooking in a coffee cup, she clipped it out for me. And when she and my sister came for Easter, we gave it a whirl.

In case you were curious, coffee cup cooking is...(long pause while I try to think of an adjective that starts with "c")...great! Without any fancy ingredients or equipment, you can enjoy a healthy and delicious breakfast in three minutes. And it's much more fun than a bowl of cereal. (Says the girl who could eat cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.)

Monday morning when you think you don't have time to eat, grab a mug and throw together Coffee Cup Chilaquiles, which is sort of like a Mexican omelette with tortilla chips. Jazz it up with your favorite taco toppings...salsa, guacamole, sour cream. And you'll still make it to your 9:00 a.m. conference call on time.

Let's make breakfast!
--Erin

P.S. That fabulous manicure belongs to my sister. She has the best nails! Over and out.

Coffee Cup Chilaquiles
Serves: 1
From The Buffalo News

1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese
5 tortilla chips, separated
1 tablespoon salsa
Salsa, guacamole, sour cream for serving

Beat egg and milk together in a large coffee cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cheddar. Break four tortilla chips into small pieces and stir into the egg mixture. Then stir in 1 tablespoon salsa. Microwave for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Garnish with remaining tortilla chip, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.